Bake-Off Entry? Tell us here!
Season 2 of the bake-offs are finally (almost) here! Let us know if you plan to attend or bring a baked good with the links below!
Kingfield Bake-Off - September 15th
Entries are due at 9:30am and judging starts at 10!
Nokomis Bake-Off - September 18th
Entries are due at 4:30pm and judging starts at 5!
Fulton Bake-Off - September 21st
Entries are due at 9:30am and judging starts at 10!
Prove Your Dough at the Bake-Off
Much like the superheroes on TV, behind each of our favorite local businesses lies an origin story. While some of us have only heard of “Bakewell tarts” from shows like the Great British Bake Off, Jessica Pearse grew up visiting England with her family where her nana always had a tin of British treats waiting at her house. She loved working in the kitchen with her and learning about the history of the snacks. When she came back home to the US though, she found it hard to find the classic treats she grew up with at the same quality that they were in England. Jessica played with the idea of starting her own business, but the prospect was daunting. Instead of jumping in all at once, she explored the possibility slowly and carefully. During their weekends, she would explore the Minneapolis neighborhoods with her husband. They’d pick a business or area they wanted to try and go check it out. As they did this, she picked up things she liked and disliked about different stores and noticed that there were no classic British baked goods around!
One weekend, she stumbled across the Neighborhood Roots website and saw our post about the Fulton Bake Off. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to test one of her flagship recipes: Cherry Bakewell Squares. Though a small contest, it still gave her a chance to hone the recipe and get feedback from the community while she worked towards opening her own shop. When she won the contest, it was a huge boost of confidence and gave her another reason to believe her dream is possible. She’s currently still moving forward with her idea and researching the licensing and permits needed. Her store, named after her nana, Blanche Wade, will be called Nana’s Bake Shoppe and is set to launch in October as a cottage food business. Her focus will be on the traditions she grew up with around British baked goods and the history of her family while also honoring her own nana.
Their slogan will be “Baking memories, one British treat at a time.” Jessica and her husband hope that their treats will remind people of their own visits to grandmother’s house (or nana’s as the case may be). It’s been a long road even to get this far, and Jessica is so excited to see where her dream takes her. Like many of our vendors, Jessica will start in markets and as an online business for private orders, with the hope of eventually making it to her own store. Keep an eye out for her this fall! We can’t wait to try more of her recipes.
Bake-Off Season 2!
It's time for the great Neighborhood Roots bake-off, season 2!
Just like last time, all you need to do is make 100 sample sized bites of your favorite baked item and bring your creation to the info table. We know 100 samples sounds like a lot, but even 25 cookies or your standard 9x11 baking dish can bear that many!
If you can't make it to the market, contact Emily at emily@neighborhoodrootsmn.org to make alternative arrangements.
For just $5, your neighbors will purchase a sampler plate of all of the entries and vote their favorite. Eating Judging will start after and all proceeds will support the market. The winner will receive a special market prize and 15 minutes of fame!
Dates and times for each market are below, along with links to the Facebook events and entry forms! Let us know if you have any questions.
Kingfield Bake-Off - September 15th
Entries are due at 9:30am and judging starts at 10!
Nokomis Bake-Off - September 18th
Entries are due at 4:30pm and judging starts at 5!
Fulton Bake-Off - September 21st
Entries are due at 9:30am and judging starts at 10!
Nokomis Bake-Off Winner!
Smiles like this one can only be found after eating delicious baked goods. Thanks to our Nokomis neighbor Abby Crow and her amazing chocolate chip cookies, there were many happy faces at the market last night!
Congratulations, Abby! Please enjoy your fame, glory, and bragging rights. (And stop by the info tent soon to pick up your prize!)
Market Cancellation Tonight
Memorial Blood Drive
This summer we are excited to be partnering with Memorial Blood Centers to make it easy for market goers to donate blood. In August, each of our markets will be hosting a blood drive on site!
Be sure to follow our Facebook events for each market so you can come hydrated and prepared.
How To Series with Ace Hardware
You might have heard of DiWHY... You know, when you try to do something yourself and it goes horribly wrong?
With help from our friends and sponsors at Nicollet Ace Hardware, we are going to have a DIY (do it yourself) "how to" series this season at Kingfield Farmers Market! Dates and activities are below, along with Facebook event links to help you remember when and where to be!
We'll help you improve your urban farming through the following classes:
We need your help!
One of our favorite parts of the markets we run is the magical transformations we see each day. At all three locations, we change an ordinary parking lot into a vibrant community gathering place and back again within just a few hours.
If you've ever been at the market at closing time, you may have caught a glimpse of how quickly things go back to normal, but did you know that all of that work is done by only a few people? Along with a dedicated corps of volunteers, the Neighborhood Roots staff move about 1000lbs a day to help create your market!We could use your help. Our Nokomis market has plenty of opportunities for new volunteers
If you're interested in learning more about the behind the scenes view of the market, sign up for volunteering now! You can fill out an interest form here. Not only will you learn a lot about the market and help your community, if you do set up or tear down, you'll also get quite the workout. Several volunteers have told us that their work with us is their new favorite arm exercise.
If heavy lifting isn't your thing, that is okay! We have lots of other opportunities for volunteers to get involved. Just let us know in your interest form what might work for you. As you see in the photo above, we've got volunteers of all ages and abilities, and we'd love to see what you bring to the table!
Tech Dump
It's never too late for spring cleaning, especially here in Minnesota where spring only lasts about a week. This year, we want to help you clean out your junk drawer and get rid of your old electronics while helping a good cause! That's why we are bringing Tech Dump to each of our markets this year.
Tech Dump is a local nonprofit that helps you safely dispose of your old cell phones, tablets, and cords while also providing job training to adults facing barriers to their employment. To learn more about this amazing organization, check out their website here.
It can be hard to remember which week each of our amazing events is happening, so be sure to check out our Facebook events for reminders - each one is linked below!
Quick on the draw?
We know that there are so many fun things to see at the market, and we want to help you share your favorites with your friends and family!
For the first time ever, Neighborhood Roots is putting together a coloring book full of line drawings submitted by our market-goers. All of our favorite submissions will be made into a coloring book that will be sold at all three of our markets, and all proceeds will support the market that you know and love.
We'll be providing supplies and help at Fulton and Kingfield this weekend (June 29th and 30th) and at Nokomis on July 3rd! To share with your friends, visit our Facebook events pages here:
To learn more, visit our info table at any of the markets.
To submit a design, email emily@neighborhoodrootsmn.org any time this season!